Need suggestions for improving my 500 free.
A little background: 52 year old male. been swimming again for about a year. up to 3500-4000 6 times a week. 5'10", 172 lbs (down from 195 when starting:)). Went to first masters meet last weekend. happy with times except 500. wanted to go 1:15,1:20,1:20,1:20,1:15. Went a 6:52 instead. 1:13, 1:26, 1:26, 1:27, 1:20. so about 43's per 50. swam the 1650 and went 44.5's per 50. (24:14). 50 free was 28secs. Even after swimming a year, pulls are faster than swims.
Usual workout is 1650 warmup, 5x100s on 2 pull (~1:11s), 5x100s on 2 swim (~1:13s), 1x500 kick, 12x50's IM on 1:15, 10x25's no breathers free/fly. breath every 2 in the 500. breath 2/3 on the 1650 (no legs hardly). high exertion difference for only 1.5 second difference per 50.
personal bests were 49 100 free, 4:59 500 free at age 20.
worried a bit about heart rate max. even though 52 no problem hitting 180 on tough sets (if I shorten rest on 100s). Is that too high for 52? I thought 220-age should be about max.
started swimming with a masters group 2 weeks ago but can only go on Saturdays.
I'm guessing shorter rest on the 100's.
(all distances are SCY)
Thanks
Think I posted it elsewhere in this thread:
10x100 @ 2:00 best average is one I use often. I used it when I coached as well. I realize a better “feel” for 500 pace is trying to hold your goal pace with short rest, but I also feel like occasionally you need to FEEL what your particular necessary speed for the 500 is. When my goal was to break 5:00 years ago, and when I coached girls who wanted to break 5:00, I was coached and coached them to think like this: to break 5:00 you need to average under 1:00 on every 100. How can you possibly do that if you don’t know what it feels like to go under 1:00 again and again? So I used a best average set like above to promote this. The BARE MINIMUM for someone wanting to break 5:00 was to see :59s every time. Now obviously if you could hold better than that across the whole set, all the better. But it also encouraged being under your goal pace when you were just completely gassed (usually around #7!).
to each their own, but I think best average sets are a useful training tool for the 500.
just to add: obviously you don’t NEED to go under 1:00 on every 100 to break 5:00. Last winter I was 4:58 and split it 55.9/1:00.4/1:00.4/1:00.9/1:00.7. Sometimes you just have to get out after it on that first 100 and then fall into your rhythm. On that swim I probably could have held 1:00s through the 1000 I felt so smooth.
and also I realize breaking 5:00 isn’t the goal of the poster(s) but I use that time cause (a) that’s my benchmark for myself for a good 500 and (b) it makes the math easy :)
Think I posted it elsewhere in this thread:
10x100 @ 2:00 best average is one I use often. I used it when I coached as well. I realize a better “feel” for 500 pace is trying to hold your goal pace with short rest, but I also feel like occasionally you need to FEEL what your particular necessary speed for the 500 is. When my goal was to break 5:00 years ago, and when I coached girls who wanted to break 5:00, I was coached and coached them to think like this: to break 5:00 you need to average under 1:00 on every 100. How can you possibly do that if you don’t know what it feels like to go under 1:00 again and again? So I used a best average set like above to promote this. The BARE MINIMUM for someone wanting to break 5:00 was to see :59s every time. Now obviously if you could hold better than that across the whole set, all the better. But it also encouraged being under your goal pace when you were just completely gassed (usually around #7!).
to each their own, but I think best average sets are a useful training tool for the 500.
just to add: obviously you don’t NEED to go under 1:00 on every 100 to break 5:00. Last winter I was 4:58 and split it 55.9/1:00.4/1:00.4/1:00.9/1:00.7. Sometimes you just have to get out after it on that first 100 and then fall into your rhythm. On that swim I probably could have held 1:00s through the 1000 I felt so smooth.
and also I realize breaking 5:00 isn’t the goal of the poster(s) but I use that time cause (a) that’s my benchmark for myself for a good 500 and (b) it makes the math easy :)
